Can Your Hearing Loss Be Corrected with Surgery?

The ear can act weird sometimes, whether it’s because of blockages, infections, or congenital reasons is totally different. However, the fact remains that you’re suffering. Because hearing is a skill, we can’t survive without.

That’s where the many miracles of science walk in. there are hearing aids that can enhance one’s hearing. One of the best options for the most severe cases is surgery.

Let’s find out more.

For Sensorineural Hearing Loss

The most common form of hearing loss is sensorineural hearing loss. This type of hearing loss occurs when the inner ear (cochlea) or auditory nerve is damaged.

Damage to the inner ear’s hair cells or the nerve connections that link the inner ear to the brain is referred to as sensorineural hearing loss. Those hair cells, which are found in the cochlea, convert the noise that your outer ear absorbs into electric signals and then transmit those impulses through the auditory nerve for the brain to decipher as audible sounds.

There are many causes of sensorineural hearing loss, including–

• Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis)
• Exposure to loud noise
• Head injuries
• Certain medications
• Diseases of the inner ear

Sensorineural hearing loss can be mild, moderate, or severe. In some cases, it can lead to deafness. Using surgery, you can replace these damaged hair cells.

Cochlear Implant

When surgery is necessary, the goal is to improve hearing. This can be accomplished by inserting a cochlear implant or by correcting an obstruction in the middle ear. In addition, a hearing aid may be used to amplify sound.

Cochlear implants. For people with sensorineural hearing loss, cochlear implants may be useful when hearing aids alone are not adequate. Cochlear implants are small devices that are surgically implanted under the skin behind the ear. A microphone placed on the outside of the ear picks up sound, which is then transmitted to a speech processor.

The speech processor converts the sound into electrical signals, which are then sent to a receiver implanted under the skin and connected to the cochlear nerve. The electrical signals travel through the cochlear nerve to the brain, which recognizes the signals as sound.

Cochlear implants are approved in the United States for people over the age of two whose hearing cannot be improved with hearing aids and who do not have damage to the auditory nerve. A team of specialists, including an otolaryngologist, a speech and language pathologist, and an audiologist, is required to evaluate and select candidates for cochlear implants.

If you’ve failed with cochlear implants, maybe it’s time for surgery.

For Conductive Hearing Loss

Conductive hearing loss is a type of hearing loss that occurs when sound waves are unable to reach the inner ear. This can be caused by a number of things, including blockages in the ear canal, damage to the eardrum, or problems with the bones in the middle ear. Conductive hearing loss can usually be treated with medical or surgical interventions.

Bone-anchored Hearing Systems

A bone-anchored hearing system (BAHS) is a type of hearing aid that is surgically implanted into the skull. The BAHS consists of three main parts: a titanium screw that is implanted into the skull, a metal abutment that attaches to the titanium screw, and a hearing aid that attaches to the abutment. BAHS is used for people who have hearing loss that cannot be corrected with traditional hearing aids.

BAHS is most commonly used to treat people with conductive hearing loss, mixed hearing loss, and single-sided deafness. Conductive hearing loss occurs when there is a problem with the outer or middle ear. Mixed hearing loss occurs when there is a problem with both the outer and middle ear. Single-sided deafness occurs when there is hearing loss in one ear and normal hearing in the other ear. BAHS can also be used to treat people with sensorineural hearing loss.

BAHS is beneficial for people with hearing loss because they do not rely on the ear canal to work. This means that BAHS can be used by people with various types of hearing loss. BAHS is also beneficial because they are less likely to cause problems with balance. BAHS is also less likely to cause problems with feedback (a whistling sound).

Grommets or Ventilation Tubes are small tubes inserted into the ear drum to allow air into the middle ear. They are used to treat children with glue ear and also for children with recurrent ear infections. Grommets are usually inserted in a day case procedure under a general anesthetic.

Grommets

Grommets are small tubes that are inserted into the ear to help treat hearing loss. The grommets allow air to enter the middle ear, which helps to equalize the pressure in the ear and prevent fluid from building up.

The child will be placed on their back, and a small incision will be made in the skin behind the ear. A small “flap” of the eardrum is then lifted, and the grommet is inserted. The grommet is usually made of plastic and is about the size of a small pea.

The procedure usually takes 10-15 minutes, and the child can go home on the same day.

The grommets usually fall out on their own after 6-12 months.

Stapedectomy

A stapedectomy is a surgical procedure to treat hearing loss caused by a disease of the middle ear bones. The stapes is one of the three bones in the middle ear. It is attached to the inner ear and transmits sound vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear.

In a stapedectomy, the surgeon removes the stapes bone and replaces it with a prosthetic (artificial) bone. The prosthesis is usually made of titanium. The surgery is done through a small incision in the eardrum.

After a stapedectomy, most people have improved hearing.

To Wrap It Up

Surgery might not always be the solution to your problem. However, that’s for a professional doctor to decide. If you’re facing hearing issues, see a doctor as soon as possible. Nothing works better than getting professional help at the right time.